Malcolm X preached self-reliance and individual and community accountability. He also argued that the non-violent civil disobedience advocated by Martin Luther King could only go so far, and that African-Americans would have to be more assertive in standing up for their rights. At times, he argued that the legal and political systems were so suffused with systemic racism that no justice for African-Americans was possible within them.

Malcolm X wrote a very motivational book. People still turn to the book and Malcolm X as an example of how to stand up for what they believe in. I think some see passion, and some see it as an example of Malcolm X turning a corner. Either way, the book is important to his image.